Jealous Josh
by Rushme
Summary: This is a story featuring Josh and Grace. Connor has long since gone. But Grace runs into an old friend at the pub with surprising results.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

Grace and Josh are at a pub one Saturday night waiting to meet up with some friends for drinks and a game of pool.

"Hey what do you want to drink?" Grace asks ready to go to the bar.

"If you don't know by now what I drink then you haven't been paying enough attention." Josh jokes.

Grace smiles "okay just thought I'd check" and heads up to the bar.

Josh smiles too as he watches her walk away. No matter how often he sees her he never gets tired of watching her, particularly from this angle. Then picking up a pool cue he racks up the balls ready for a game when Grace returns. Her game has really improved since they first played and now he really has to work to beat her. Not that he is surprised she's got better at it. If there is one thing he has discovered about Grace it's that she's determined and if she puts her mind to it she can excel at anything.

As he looks towards the bar again Josh sees Grace greet a guy who has just approached her with a hug. Josh has never seen this guy before and he doesn't like the way he is looking at her. Nor does he like the way Graces face lit up when she saw him. Frowning he continues to watch as they talk animatedly for a few minutes his beer going flat sitting forgotten on the bar. Grace then pulls out her phone and begins to type presumably getting his number. The guy follows suit and then just as Josh has had enough and has decided to break it up the guy leans in and kisses Grace. Josh notices it was not a friend type of kiss either and he's furious. It doesn't help either that Grace is just standing there stunned watching as the guy walks away.

Josh doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know who the hell is this guy is but obviously Grace does. He wants to go after him and punch his lights out for kissing her but he also needs to talk to Grace. He knows it wasn't her that instigated the kiss but she didn't stop it either. So he's mad but he's also worried.

Grace meanwhile is stunned. For the life of her she can't work out why the hell he did that. She had known Gary at uni and they were friends but there was never anything romantic between them, so why kiss her like that. Then giving up on trying to work out what he was thinking and hoping Josh didn't see it because she can't explain it to him anymore than she can to herself Grace finally picks up the drinks and turns back towards where she left Josh. But as soon as she sees Josh's face Grace knows this was a false hope. He looks ready to hit something so it's probably just as well Gary left. He is standing with his arms crossed looking formidable and Grace grimaces not looking forward to the conversation they are about to have.

Josh is scowling as he waits for Grace to cover the distance between them. He desperately needs her to explain and tell him he's got nothing to worry about. But just as she gets with in an arms length of him and he looks down at her he hears his name being called. Damn it their friends have arrived and now he will have to wait to talk to her.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

The frustration and worry he feels is noticeable in Josh. More than once his mates look at him sharply and ask if he is okay. But he shrugs them off. All of them wonder about his mood. Since Grace has been in his life he is generally fairly happy but tonight it's a different story. Finally after Josh has been short with everyone including Grace they decide to call it a night.

As Josh and Grace walk out of the pub and along the road home neither speaks for a while. Josh is mad but wants Grace to explain. But Grace is now mad that he's angry about something she had no control over and for letting it ruin their night.

Finally Josh can't take it any more and growls "well?"

"Well what?" Grace asks irritably not willing to make it easy for him.

"You know perfectly well what Grace" Josh seethes as he strides along.

"If you mean what Gary did, how the hell should I know. I didn't ask him to do it."

"Maybe not but you sure as hell didn't stop it. And who is he anyway?"

"Josh come on I didn't have a chance to stop him. He took me by surprise and I was shocked." Grace defends herself nearly having to run to keep up with him.

But Josh is not ready to concede yet he has been sitting on this for hours and he's ready for a fight. "Yeah sure Grace, after that greeting you gave him it's no wonder he thought you would welcome his moves."

Grace stops, she is astounded that he would think she invited his kiss. How can he think that? After all they've been through, after every thing she did to be with him how could he think that?

Josh meanwhile is glad she's stopped, at the moment he doesn't want to look at her. He knows he's being unreasonable and if he looks at her he will see the hurt in her face and have to concede. He's not ready to do that yet he's just too mad still so he keeps going leaving her standing there. He's angry that she's angry when he hasn't done anything and he knows she will follow. It's not far to their place so he continues on without a backward glance.

Arriving at the apartment he goes into the kitchen and getting a beer out of the fridge sculls it while he waits for her to arrive. But after he has finished the beer she still hasn't arrived so he turns on the tv determined to look occupied when she comes home. He is calmer now and ready to sort this out but she is taking so long he's starting to worry. She wasn't that far behind. Where the hell is she?

After a couple of minutes Josh jumps up and starts pacing. He doesn't want to go looking for her this is all her fault not his, she should come to him. But after ten minutes more waiting and pacing Josh has had enough he doesn't care whether he goes to her or not he's got to find her.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Josh walks out of the apartment and turning back in the direction of the pub strides along the road. At first he can't see anyone on the street let alone Grace and he's really starting to worry. Where is she? But as he rounds a bend he spots Grace sitting on a bench and he stops. Realising he has been holding his breath he takes a deep breath to fill his depleted lungs and then waiting a moment until he is breathing normally again he starts slowly moving in her direction.

Grace is looking down at her hands and doesn't look up as Josh stops in front of her even though she knows it's him. His accusation really upset her and she doesn't know what to say to him. She can't even look at him. But it was never her intention to punish him by not following him home she just needed to think.

Josh watches Grace for a minute as she continues to look down at her hands. Then sighing he sits down beside her with his arms leaning on his knees. "Grace I'm sorry I know you didn't invite that kiss. It's just that it drove me crazy to see him kiss you."

Grace turns to look at him finally "Josh you know I love you right?"

Now it's Josh that won't look at her as he shrugs "Yeah I know it."

"Then why did you get so angry over something that I had no control over and didn't want to happen anyway?"

Josh sits back and looks straight ahead. He's uncomfortable talking about this but he has to explain his behaviour. "It's just ever since we got together I've been waiting for something to go wrong."

Grace shakes her head not understanding "Why?"

"Because I figured that I would eventually have to pay for what I'd done. For messing with a marriage, for taking my happiness at the expense of someone else's. I've always had to pay in one way or another for my actions. I thought this would be no different."

Grace stares at his averted face. She's stunned. She had no idea that Josh felt like that but thinking about it she knows she shouldn't really be surprised. After what he told her about his brother it's no wonder his view of the world is skewed. Cautiously she tries to set his mind at rest. "Josh it doesn't work that way. You don't get punished for being happy and anyway it wasn't just you, if anyone was going to be punished for what happened between us it would be me. But apart from that you know that every thing wasn't right between Connor and me anyway because if they were nothing would have ever happened with you or anyone else."

Grace stops and waits for Josh to look at her before continuing "but everything is right between us or at least I thought it was…"

"Yeah Grace everything is fantastic between us, I'm sorry."

Grace smiles and standing reaches out and grabs Josh's hand. Then pulling him to his feet puts her arms around his neck "then you've got nothing to worry about right?"

Josh smiles slightly "Right."

"Now can we go home so I can show you how right things can be between us?"

Josh leans down and kisses her hungrily. He loves it when she teases him like that with promises of what's to come. "Definitely" he says putting his arm around her and pulling her close he heads them in the direction of home.

Grace puts her arm around Josh and slides her hand into his back pocket.

"Grace stop that" Josh says sternly "or I will take you into the bushes and we will discover what there is to know here and now."

Grace laughs "Okay Josh." She loves that she can get to him so easily.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 5

Later in bed as Josh kisses Graces hair he asks the question he still needs the answer to. "So Grace who was that guy anyway?"

Grace who is lying in his arms with her head on his shoulder moves her head back to look at him "Don't tell me you need me to show you again how right things are between us?"

Josh smiles "well ya wouldn't get any complaints from me, but no I was just wondering how you know him?"

Grace runs her hand over his chest as she talks "I knew Gary at uni, we were friends, but that's all. I was as surprised by what he did as you were. There was never anything between us and I don't know why he would now think there could be. I haven't seen him in years."

"You gave him your number didn't you?"

"Yeah I was happy to see him again and he said he wanted to catch up. But that was before…now I don't know. I'm hoping he won't contact me,"

Turning onto his side Josh gently pushes the hair off her face as he looks at her "maybe he heard about you and Connor breaking up and not realising you are with me decided it was time to make his move."

Grace shrugs "maybe but I've never given him any reason to believe I would want him to do that even if I were free."

Josh smiles and jokes "yeah but Grace the way you look any guy who thought you were free would give it a shot with or without an invitation."

In one lithe movement Grace pushes Josh on to his back and sits on his stomach with his arms pinned above his head "I don't know about that but in any case you know I can take care of anyone who tries, right?"

Josh grins "Right" and easily pulling his arms out from under her hands wraps them around her waist and pulls her back down to him asking "now you were going to show me something weren't you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Two days later as Grace is cooking dinner her phone rings "Josh can you get that?"

Striding out of the bedroom freshly showered and wearing only a pair of tracksuit pants Josh answers "sure" and picks up her phone. "Hello"

"Oh hi" the person sounds somewhat surprised "I was actually looking for Grace, Grace Barry."

"Yeah this is her phone but she's busy at the moment, can I give her a message?"

"Yeah just tell her Gary called and is anxious to pick up where we left off at the bar."

Josh turns to face Grace before replying and looking at her intently says "right Gary I'll let her know you want to pick things up where you left them but I can't guarantee she will get back to you. She's pretty busy these days living with me" and then hangs up before he can comment.

Grace just looks at Josh "Well I guess we don't need to worry about him anymore now do we?"

Josh puts her phone down on the bench "Not if he's got any sense, no."

"Good" Grace replies and goes back to finishing dinner. She's glad Josh has dealt with it and she doesn't have to explain to Gary.

Looking thoughtful Josh moves off back to the bedroom to finish getting dressed. He doesn't like the idea of this guy pursuing Grace but hopefully he's put a stop to it now.

After dinner Josh and Grace are watching TV when Grace's phone once again rings. She looks at Josh thinking surely he wouldn't be stupid enough to call again.

But Josh is thinking exactly the same thing and watches Grace closely as she answers.

"Hello"

"Grace? It's Gary. Thank God you answered I called before and got some guy who claims you're living with him. Did you leave your phone somewhere?"

"No Gary that was Josh who answered before and I do live with him."

"Oh is he you're roommate, he's obviously a bit protective."

"No Gary we are a couple."

"Oh"

"Why are you so surprised? If you hadn't left so quickly the other night I would have introduced you to him."

"You mean he was there?" Gary asks incredulous.

"Yes Gary he was there and saw everything which is why you got the response you did when you called last time."

"Oh ok Grace. It's just that I heard you split up with your husband and I didn't think you would be with anyone else so quickly." Gary says sounding disapproving.

Grace is becoming angry now. Who the hell does he think he is to be questioning her actions. "Gary, Connor and I separated over a year ago that's not a short time and anyway what I do is none of your business."

"Ok Grace sorry I bothered you." He says sarcastically. Grace can hear in his voice he's angry now, but that's not her problem.

Gary then continues "I'll see you round then."

"Not a good idea Gary, bye." Grace hangs up and she turns to look at Josh.

"Has he got the message this time?" Josh asks seriously.

"I hope so." Grace replies and turning back to the TV snuggles up to him again.

Josh puts his arm around her and pulls her close but his expression is serious. He's worried about this guy he's obviously not too bright seeing as how he called back again and stupid people do stupid things. Making a mental note to keep an eye on the situation he finally goes back to watching TV.


	6. Chapter 6

Later that night, after Grace's phone has woken them up for the fourth time, Josh is out of bed fuming. He certain it's this Gary but once again no body answers when he says hello. So this time Josh turns it off and looks down at Grace sternly.

Grace returns his gaze from her position on the bed. "I'll change my number tomorrow."

Josh nods and moves back towards the bed. She flips back the covers invitingly and Josh gets back into bed and pulls her close. Now if he can just get some sleep he will deal with this once and for all tomorrow.

In the morning Josh is quiet and Grace knows he's not happy about last night. But not wanting to bring it up she gets ready for work hoping he isn't planning anything. However just as they are ready to leave for work he confronts her. Arms folded and a look of determination on his face he orders "give me your phone." Josh has had enough. This guy obviously isn't getting the message so he's going to deliver one to him personally that he can't possible misunderstand.

But Grace is worried Josh will do something crazy and tries to stall "what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find him and let him know who he's messing with." Josh growls. "What's his surname and where did he live when you knew him?"

"Josh you're not going to hurt him are you?"

"I won't even touch him Grace but he'll get the message just the same."

Grace tries to talk him out of it "Josh I'm going to change my number. That should end it. You don't need to do this."

"I need to make sure, now tell me."

"Josh don't do anything you'll regret ok?"

"Tell me."

Grace knows there is no reasoning with Josh when he is in this sort of mood so she gives him the information and her phone and hopes to God he can't find Gary.


End file.
